a bunch of newbie questions

[AlfaNeely@domain.elided]

       I will not comment on your questions about oil, spark plug and filter 
brands.  Much of what you hear on those issues will be personal brand 
preferences anyway.  I will comment that I rarely buy Lodge plugs as I cannot 
figure out how to set the plug gap <grin - that is a joke>.
       Fabric covered hoses are available from various auto supply houses.  
Shop around - the stuff is expensive.  AutoZone should be able to order it.  
Or try Napa.
       For cleaning inside the engine, I suggest you pull the valve cover 
every other oil change.  Otherwise you leave half a quart of dirty oil in the 
engine.  While you have the valve cover off, tighten the timing chain and 
check the valve clearances.  Write down the valve clearances for future 
reference.  If valve clearances ever start to change, you have a problem.
       At that point, you might also want to pull the spark plugs and check 
engine compression.  Again, keep the readings for future reference.
       NEVER start the engine with the valve galleys empty.  The first half a 
quart of oil added to the engine should go into the cam galleys.  The second 
half quart should go into the new oil filter before it is screwed on.
       If you are really obsessive compulsive, drop the lower sump from the 
bat wing pan and clean all the junk out of the bottom of the pan.  I do that 
about every fourth or fifth oil change.  Can you spell anal retentive?
       While you have the lower sump off, note all the baffles that keep oil 
around the oil pump pick up under hard cornering.  Those baffles also prevent 
the oil from draining out completely unless the car is level when you drain 
the oil.
       There were some comments a week or so ago about an Alfa four not 
taking the correct amount of oil.  I suspect that the writer did not have the 
car level when he drained the oil and left a good bit of dirty oil in the pan 
plus the dirty oil in the valve cover galleys.
       It also could have been that a good bit of grunge (technical term) had 
built up in the bottom of the oil pan reducing the amount of oil the engine 
would accept.  If you ever pull a lower sump, you will be quite amazed at the 
build up of grunge.  Just as well get rid of it occasionally.
       The Alfa 2000 four with a bat wing pan holds 7.5 quarts in my 
experience.  That includes a normal sized filter and the half quart in the 
cam galleys.  I have measured that on several spanking clean engines I have 
built.
       In fact, when mixing and matching blocks, oil pans and various dip 
sticks, I have occasionally found it necessary to mark the dip stick.  I add 
5.5 quarts to the engine, oil filter, and cam galleys.  I then start the 
engine to fill the oil filter and shut it off.  The oil level at that point 
is where the lower mark should be on the dip stick.  Add another quart to 
mark the quart low mark and add a final quart for the full mark.  You should 
have added a total of 7.5 quarts.
       For what it is worth, my 2.5 Milano seems to like 7 quarts.  And there 
are no cam galleys to drain and clean and the bottom of the oil pan does not 
come off easily.

Ciao,
Russ Neely
Oklahoma City




In a message dated 6/26/2002 12:16:16 AM Central Daylight Time, 
owner-alfa-digest@domain.elided writes:


> Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2002 23:15:17 -0400
> From: "John Paradiso" <johnp@domain.elided>
> Subject: a bunch of newbie questions
> 
> Paisani:
> I have a 92 Spider Veloce and need some advice/direction from anyone 
> willing
> to indulge me. Here are the things that I'm looking at doing, experienced
> feedback greatly appreciated:
> 
> 1) Redline gear oil (75w90NS) in the gear box. Anyone have experience with
> BG Synchroshift in Alfa gearboxes?
> 2) Magnecor ignition wires.
> 3) I need to replace the hoses from the Intake hose to the oil vapor
> canister and the idle speed actuator (?) ( the cylindrical Bosch thingy
> hanging off the plenum). Suggestions on sources for such things? I've tried
> the catalogs of the usual suspects to no avail. (Please, someone tell me
> that I can just waltz into Autozone and pick them up)
> 4) Bosch plus four plugs.
> 5) Draining the oil - Should I use any kind of  "flush stuff" (I do like
> technical jargon) or just drain it and add fresh oil?
> 6) Bosch Oil Filter
> 
> In three weeks of owning this car I can say that it is the quintessential
> Italian car. Its a pain in the ass, but a beautiful, even a magnificent,
> pain in the ass.
> 
> Thanks in advance
> 
> John Paradiso
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